India launches operation to evacuate citizens from Sudan
1 min read . Updated: 24 Apr 2023, 09:01 PM IST
Premium- Christened Operation Kaveri, evacuations of 500 Indian citizens, gathered in Port Sudan, is imminent, according to India’s foreign minister
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced on Monday that India has commenced evacuations of its citizens from Sudan. Christened Operation Kaveri, evacuations of 500 Indian citizens, gathered in Port Sudan, is imminent, according to India’s Foreign Minister. More evacuations are expected in the coming days as the political crisis in Sudan deepens.
This development comes after the United States and France evacuated their diplomatic personnel from the North African country, which is seeing fighting between the army and paramilitary forces.
France also took the step of pulling out its citizens and those of numerous foreign nations from the troubled North-African country. “Last night, two military flight rotations evacuated 388 people of 28 countries, including Indian nationals," stated the French Embassy in New Delhi in a tweet.
This development comes on the heels of days of intense diplomatic activity from New Delhi. Government sources indicated that India was in consultation with the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and UAE to ensure the safety of its nationals in Sudan. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar also spoke with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt to discuss the situation in Sudan. During a brief visit to New York en route to his tour of Latin America, Minister Jaishankar also discussed developments in Sudan with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
continued fighting between rival generals in Sudan. Fighting has continued despite reports that ceasefire agreements during Eid had been concluded. Violence erupted on April 15 after a power struggle between two of the country’s most powerful military figures spilled onto the streets of Sudan, including the capital of Khartoum.
An Indian citizen was also killed by a stray bullet as a result of the fighting, according to India’s Embassy in Sudan.
According to media reports, around 20,000 people have fled from Sudan into neighbouring Chad in a bid to escape the fighting.